F R I D A Y 162nd YEAR • No. 179 NOVEmBER 25, 2016 CLEVELAND, TN 20 PAGES • 50¢ Squirrel carves $400,000 grant problems for ‘Turkey Day’ to rebuild park By ALLEN MINCEY in Blythe area Banner Staff Writer Some Bradley County By SARALYN NORKUS residents may have awaken Banner Staff Writer Thankgiving morning won- dering if they would be able A project that has been three years in the to get their holiday meal making at Impact Cleveland officially received ready due to a power out- the green light earlier this week. age in the U.S. Highway 64 As a part of their efforts to revitalize the Blythe area. Oldfield neighborhood, Impact Cleveland has It may have revived bad partnered with a number of organizations and memories for some of a private donors to bring new life to the park/play- power outage two years ground that once served as the playground for ago just prior to the old Blythe School. “We are partnering with the Johnson Thanksgiving Day. Banner photo, SARALYN NORKuS However, according to Foundation, the Jackson family from Jackson ImPACT CLEVELAND EXECuTIVE director Dustin Tommey, from left, Blythe-Oldfield Community Association President Manufacturing, the United Way and the city of Cleveland Utilities, the out- Julia Porter and Impact Cleveland Project Manager Jake Stum stand in front of the old Blythe Elementary playground that age lasted about 1 1/2 will soon be revitalized in part of a major community improvement project. See GRANT, Page 11 hours, so its effect was considered minimal. A Cleveland Utilities spokesperson this morning said the outage occurred Bradley around 7:20 a.m., and power was restored close to 8:50 a.m. Thursday. He HELLO, BLACK FRIDAY! said that while he did not jobless have the exact number of homes affected, it was a small amount in compari- Lines greet son to a similar outage if it rate dips had happened in a more densely populated area. pre-dawn in The area affected was in the Highway 64/Durkee to 4.3 in Road area, and was report- major stores edly caused by a squirrel By SARALYN NORKUS which made contact with a Banner Staff Writer October transformer. Cleveland Utilities said the incident A multitude of shoppers may created a small fire on a have actually started off their Jobs added in retail, power pole, and the insula- Black Friday shopping on tor on the pole had to be Thanksgiving, but that didn’t temps, construction removed and replaced. keep them from coming out on the day itself to partake in even By RICK NORTON Associate Editor See SQUIRREL, Page 11 more door-buster deals. Despite a slight chill in the air Hiring upticks in construction, and patches of fog blanketing retail trade and temporary services the area, the lure of being one of have anchored an October dip in Food for local the first 200 shoppers in the Bradley County’s unemployment door at Bradley Square Mall rate to 4.3 percent. families in need proved to be reason enough for Representing a drop from 4.6 in A goal to distribute 750 boxes of locals to begin lining up well September, the mark is also well food staples and $24,000 in dona- over an hour before the doors below the October tally of a year tions has opened at 5 a.m. Those first 200 ago when it was 4.8, according to been set by were given gift bags that con- Larry Green, labor market analy- the William tained items like coupons and sist for the Tennessee Department Hall Rodgers gift cards from various stores in of Labor and Workforce Christmas the mall. Development. Basket Fund. One of the first shoppers in Banner photo, SARALYN NORKuS “Bradley County has had a good The food sta- the door was Kellie Presswood, AN HOuR BEFORE OPENING, a good crowd of Black Friday shoppers had already gathered year,” Green told the Cleveland ples will be who happened to be new at the in line at the entrance of Bradley Square Mall. Daily Banner. “Last year’s October given to families in need in the com- Black Friday shopping experi- rate of 4.8 was already a good rate munity just before Christmas. The ence. then, and now this year it’s at 4.3. fund, which is a 501(c)(3), is a vol- “This was our first year doing So, it’s looking pretty good.” unteer-supported effort. Donations Black Friday shopping, so we The latest report lands Bradley may be mailed to First Tennessee decided to come early,” County with the state’s 13th lowest Bank, P.O. Box 3566, Cleveland TN Presswood commented. mark out of 95 counties. 37320-3566 or dropped off at First The final gift bag was handed The local figure also compares Tennessee Bank at 3870 Keith St. out at 5:20 a.m. favorably to the state and national Shoppers who came to the marks. The Tennessee rate for mall between 5 and 8 a.m. also October is 4.8, which is up from Forecast had a chance to enter to win 4.6 in September. The national their December utility bill being mark is 4.9, down from 5 percent After a foggy start this morning, paid or a 32 oz. Yeti tumbler. in the previous month. skies today will be partly sunny For the mother-daughter duo Like it has for the past few years, with a high near 63. Calm wind of Pam and Megan Simpson, the Bradley County continued to lead from the north at only 5 mph are early-morning shopping marked the Southeast Tennessee region expected by afternoon. Tonight, their sixth year of Black Friday with the lowest jobless mark. the outlook calls for partly cloudy shopping. Among the county’s immediate skies with temperatures dropping “It’s just fun to get out with neighbors, Hamilton County to a chilly 35, and a northerly my daughter and enjoy the day,” recorded a rate of 5 percent, down wind at 5 to 10 mph. Pam Simpson commented. from 5.1 in September. On Saturday, sunny skies are The pair had begun their Others included McMinn forecast with a high near 58. shopping Thursday night with County, 5.7, down from 5.8; Meigs, Clear Saturday night with a low of trips to JCPenney’s, Belk and 6.4, down from 7; Monroe, 5.5, 28 is expected and it is expected Wal-Mart, which they reported unchanged; Polk, 5.5, down from to be clear again Sunday with a were all very busy. 5.8; and Rhea, 7.5, up from 7.2. high near 61. “We make our rounds, but it “Bradley County [hiring] went up really depends on who is open- in construction, and it did start to ing when,” the mother said. see some hiring in retail trade,” Index Banner Photo, DONNA KAYLOR Banner Photo, DONNA KAYLOR “This is round two,” Megan SHALEENA PuLLIAm of Cleveland had lots CHECKING TWO GIFTS off her list and wait- Green said. “So, that holiday trend Simpson added. ing in line at JCPenney’s at Black Friday shop- is starting to pick up a little bit.” Church........................................6-7 Bath and Body Works proved of shopping bags, including the Bradley Square ping was Brenda Romero of Cleveland with a Green said Bradley’s biggest Classified......................................19 Mall goody bag, as she started her shopping at hiring gain came in temporary Comics.........................................10 See HELLO, Page 12 4:15 a.m. standing in line for the bargins. crock pot and a nonstick griddle. Editorials......................................16 See JOBLESS, Page 11 Horoscope....................................10 Obituaries.......................................2 Sports......................................13-15 TV Schedule...............................8-9 Weather........................................11 Empty Stocking Fund launches Monday Around Town Rodgers Christmas Basket Fund also still collecting JC Bowman reflecting on the By RICK NORTON As the Empty Stocking Fund launches Fund are separate holiday drives. Their blessings of Thanksgiving and Associate Editor its 41st year in a festive ceremony at the only connection is that both are mutually how it can impact people’s lives International Church of God promoted by local news media outlets: ... Melanie Connatser excited, Entering its second year as a combined Headquarters, another longtime Cleveland WCLE and the Cleveland Daily Banner. and encouraged, about the suc- community Christmas initiative, the initiative — the William Hall Rodgers The Empty Stocking Fund — originally cess of several community initia- Empty Stocking Fund will kick off its Christmas Basket Fund (see information brainstormed in 1975 by Tom and Sandra tives and their positive influence 2016 campaign Monday with a two-week later in this story) — is continuing its Rowland, along with the late George R. on education ... Shannon Russo goal of one dollar more than last year’s annual community drive. “Bobby” Taylor, a civic-minded Cleveland helping to lead a timely Christmas total. Donations are already being accepted banker — will kick off its Christmas cam- project on behalf of U.S. veterans In December 2015 — which was the for the Basket Fund and will be taken and members of the military. paign with a live remote Monday by My inaugural year for combining the Empty through the end of the calendar year. The Mix 104.1 from 6 to 9 a.m. Stocking Fund with the annual Christmas Basket Fund goal is $24,000 which would The drive will continue through Friday, Party for Children and Creating Christmas provide 750 food baskets. Dec. 9, with a grand finale at Life Care Memories — supporters raised some The William Hall Rodgers Christmas $60,000 for the collective cause.